Friday, September 5, 2014

A Guide for Taking Medication


Many times a person will be prescribed a drug that does not specify when exactly it should be taken. Although you may have been told how many times to take it, do you know exactly when? For example, if your doctor prescribed you an oral pill to take once a day, when is the best time to take it? Morning? Afternoon? At night before bed? A simple call to your doctor can give you the answer, but recent studies show the answer is not as simple as we may think. It has been found that finding the ideal time frame of when to take a drug can make the drug more effective as well as decrease the chances of unwanted side-effects. Finding this ideal time is known as drug chronotherapy. Drug chronotherapy can greatly help the effectiveness of drugs used for the relief of arthritis which is common in the elderly, as well as the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Below is a helpful guide clarifying the best times to take certain medications that are often prescribed to the elderly.
  • Medication for High-Cholesterol: Take this before you go to bed as bad cholesterol levels are highest around midnight.
  • Medication for High-Blood Pressure: Take this before you go to bed helps normalize blood pressure rhythm for the coming day.
  • Medication for osteoarthritis: Take four to six hours before the pain reaches its peak. Therefore the medication will kick exactly when needed.
  • Medication for Heartburn: If your heartburn is the worst during the nighttime it is best to take your medication thirty minutes before your evening meal.
  • Medication for Arthritis: Take at night, generally before bed, this will help with pain the next day.
These helpful guidelines will surely make sure you get the most out of your medication. However, before making any changes it is important to contact your doctor and pharmacist and confirm it with them first.

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